Maria and the Magic Mirror-Part 4
by Ashley3
Summary: Maria and Alex make a choice


Liz Parker was frantic. Maria's mom had called hours ago, saying she hadn't been able to reach Maria at home, and would Liz please give her a message when she came into work? Only Maria hadn't come in to work, so Liz couldn't tell her that her mother had gotten caught in the storm and wouldn't be home till morning. Now work was long over and there was still no word from Maria.  
Add to that the fact that when she had called to see if Alex knew anything, she found that he, too, hadn't been seen since early afternoon, and you got one very freaked out friend.  
Grabbing her raincoat, Liz waited for the next boom of thunder to hide her footsteps, then dashed for the door. Icy rain slammed into her the second she stepped outside, but she ignored it. She was on a mission.  
Racing around a corner, she ran straight into a broad, male chest before she could stop herself. Warm hands grabbed her shoulders, helping her keep her balance. Familiar hands.  
Liz looked up into Max's face and wanted to cry. It would be so easy to just slip her arms around him and...  
"Stop it!" she ordered herself silently. "He has a destiny to fulfill, a destiny that doesn't include you."  
"Max," she whispered before she could stop herself.  
"Liz," he whispered back.  
A brilliant streak of lightening brought Liz back to her senses and to the realization that Max still held her shoulders. She took a quick step back, hating the way it made Max's face go closed and cold. Remote.  
As he turned to leave, Liz remembered what had brought her out into the storm in the first place. "Max, wait!" she called. He stopped, turning slowly, reluctantly, to face her. "Have you seen Maria or Alex since this afternoon?"  
He frowned. "Not since school. Why?"  
"No one seen them since then. Alex hasn't been home, Maria didn't come to work and no one answers when I call. I have a really bad feeling about this. I was just on my way to Maria's house to see if she's there and hurt, or something. Can you call Isabel and Michael? See if they've seen them?" Liz asked hopefully, relieved to share her burden.  
"Look, I'll call and ask if they've seen them. If they haven't, we'll all meet at Maria's house to check it out. If something's up, no one should go there alone."  
Liz nodded, knowing he was right, but hating the idea of waiting. Her friends needed her, she could feel it.  
  
Fifteen minutes later, Liz, Max, Michael, and Isabel stood in front of Maria's house. The rain had slowed to a steady drizzle and the moon was out.  
"Look!" Liz cried, pointing. "The front door is wide open!"  
"Something is definitely going on here," Isabel muttered.  
Then, as they all watched, a pale glow illuminated a single window. "That's Maria's room!" Michael called, already on his way inside, the other three close behind.  
After rushing through the dark hall, Michael surveyed the room with dismay. He had been hoping, praying that Maria would be here, messing with her aromatheropy candles or sleeping. But the room was depressingly empty.  
The glow was coming from a silver hand mirror. Almost without meaning to, the four gathered around it where it lay on the floor. They watched in amazement as a scene unfolded in the glass.  
Two people were in a living room talking. Or maybe arguing, because the man kept running his fingers through his hair as he paced. The woman lay on a couch, looking tired.  
The scene was crystal clear, but without sound until a girl with long red hair showed up. It was only then that the four around the mirror realized the truth.  
"That's Maria and Alex!" Liz exclaimed, wide-eyed and bewildered. "But how did they get into the mirror? And since when is Maria pregnant?"  
"Shhh!" Isabel chided. "I think something important is about to happen."  
They listened in silence as the girl explained why Maria and Alex were where they were. When she got to the part about destiny, the three aliens went noticeably still.  
Max looked thoughtful, Isabel was blinking in disbelief, and Michael, silent, moody, taciturn Michael was wearing a grin so large it threatened to crack his jaw.  
But they all stopped and paid total attention to the mirror when the redhead simply disappeared and Maria and Alex were alone again. Somehow, all four knew that what happened next was going to be very important.  
  
Maria sat still, trying to absorb what Adara had said. Alex was silent, then let his breath out with a whoosh. "For a not-quite genie, that girl is one..." he paused, searching for a word.  
"One smart little fortune cookie?" Maria supplied, shifting her weight and patting the cushion next to her.  
Alex grinned, sitting beside her.  
"You know she was talking about now with the whole crossroads thing."   
His smile faded. "I know."  
They were silent for a moment. Alex was the first to speak. "We could stay here. Nice house, nice jobs, nice marriage. A baby."  
"We could." Maria sighed. But nice isn't right, and I miss Liz. I don't think I wanna live in a world where she's dead."  
"Or where Isabel's an actress hundreds of miles away."  
"Or where Michael is a criminal."  
"Or where Max is too much of a hermit to be a good leader."  
"I wanna go home." Maria admitted.  
"Me, too."  
"Here's a stupid question."  
"Yeah?"  
"How do we get-"  
A loud peal of thunder shook the windows. Maria felt herself being pulled toward something. She didn't resist. She trusted Adara.  
She landed with a thump in someone's lap. Someone warm who wrapped their arms around her tightly. She sighed, hugging Michael back joyfully. She was home.  
Adara turned on the lights without touching the light switch. Maria was curled up in Michael's lap, and Alex was on his knees, hugging Isabel. Max and Liz were holding hands, looking into each other's eyes.  
Adara cleared her throat to gain their attention. "Remember well what you learned tonight. Carry it always as my gift to you. Some of you have already chosen your destinies, the rest will soon follow. Follow your hearts and you won't be led astray.  
"And now, I say goodbye." With that, both Adara and the mirror vanished without a trace.  



End file.
